Meadowlands: Analysis for Saturday 2/5

MEET STATS: 90-20-12-12 / $127.60 (-$52.40)

BEST BETS: 6-2-1-1 / $6.40 (-5.60)

SPOT PLAYS: 6-2-0-1 / $25.00 (+$13.00)

BEST BET: CHASER HANOVER (2nd)

SPOT PLAY: ANA AFREET N (8th)

Race 1: $30,000-$40,000 Claiming Handicap - Pick 5

(7) PERFECTBOY HANOVER was ok at Yonkers and now returns to the track and class where he won in 1:51 3/5 back on December 31. He's far from a horse I'm running to bet but should be very competitive in this spot. (6) FRONTIER ROLLO has a bunch of just-missed miles recently. Can he get over the top? (1) ALL CHEDDAR comes down from Canada and adds Lasix; worth a look. (5) MUDVILLE actually beat the top pick on January 8 here.

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Race 2: Non-winners $4,000 (NW L3 $4,400) in last 5 or 2 races in 2021/22 who are NW1 in 2022

(4) CHASER HANOVER got stretched out nicely last time and now gets to step one more rung down the class ladder. He'll be put in play and prove difficult to defeat. (10) BECHERS BROOK A has sketchy form and an awful post, but he's got the class to overcome if Cullipher can turn him around. (2) SHAMMA LAMMA finally gets a decent post. We'll find out here what he has in the tank, though the final quarters say he could be live.

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Race 3: TrackMaster Rating 80 (NW L3/5 80.5/81.82) or less/Opt. $15,000 Clm. - Survivor 7

(7) PARKLANE JET has been racing reasonably well since the barn change and unlike his last two starts, there is no standout horse in the field. (1) MUSCLE MACH A comes off a pair of seconds and certainly fits here. (5) MICKEYS SPIRIT should make the top for new driver Gingras. If he doesn't have to work too hard, I'd give him a chance.

Race 4: Non-winners $7,000 (NW L2 $7,990) in last 5/TM 83 (NW L2/5 83.5/84)

(5) NUTCRACKER SWEET had post 10 in race 13 last weekend and scratched early, perhaps to avoid a useless start where he had no shot. Now he lands perfectly in the middle of the gate and should be forwardly place. (1) MACH N CHEESE has seen stakes appearances at times. He debuts for a new barn tonight off a decent qualifier where he was defeated by a pair of Open foes. (2) STONEDUST drops down and can win, but doesn't seem worth a short price. (3) MONTANA CHIEF A got lucky as the cancelation helped him drop from NW10000 to NW7000. My main issue against is that the Erv Miller horses from Australia have been handled patiently in start one in these shores.

Race 5: Non-winners 2/3 races or $20,000/$30,000 life - Maidens draw inside

(7) CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN drops back down to the NW2/3 class and we know he’s going to the top. Unless one of the others is going to get lucky or wake up from an outside post, it's his race to lose. (3) CANDY TRADER sprinted home nicely in that last qualifier and is certainly eligible to do good things for new connections. (8) DONTPASSME HANOVER clearly has ability. Do we see it tonight? I have no clue. (10) MIKI MINAJ got unlucky here with post 10. There are too many questions to bet on him unless you are getting 5-1 or higher.

Race 6: $40,000-$50,000 Claiming Handicap - $50K GTD Pick 4

(5) YACHT SEELSTER has made consecutive breaks but you have to like that they keep throwing him in the box. With his claiming price getting cut to $49K tonight from $75K, you have to think if he has a big effort in the tank, we'll see it. (3) BALLERAT BOOMERANG & (2) WAY TO CLOSE are up in class but oh so sharp. (8) PARTY WHIP takes a similar claiming price cut to the top pick; wakes up?

Race 7: $20,000-$24,000 Claiming Handicap

In a race that doesn't excite me, (2) JUST N ACE finds a field that seems to lack early speed and perhaps we'll see an aggressive steer from him this week. (3) BNGS EXPRESS moves into a new barn and could awaken. (9) VERGEOFGREATNESS N put together back to back seconds when last in this class.

Race 8: Non-winners $14,000 (NW L3 $15,400) in last 5/TM 89 (NW L3/5 89.5/90) - Pick 6

(4) ANA AFREET N clearly needed the start last time. Seven-year-old is a legitimate Open horse during the winter and should make his presence felt here. (8) DINA BOLT N is perfect in three starts since entering the Bongiorno barn. (5) ROCKIN THE ACES drops to a level where he has a couple of recent seconds. (10) TRUMP NATION has been coming up short and won’t be done any favors with post 10.

Race 9: $50,000-$60,000 Claiming Handicap

There seems to be a fair amount of early speed in this field and that could set it up for a closer like (5) GOOD ROCKIN, who was perhaps a bit short in his return from vacation and should be tighter now. (2) PALOMAR is another confirmed closer and he's getting a new pilot tonight. (7) ROCKIN M won as the favorite in this class last time. Can he make the lead easily again? I doubt it.

Race 10: Non-winners $20,000 in last 5/TM 92 or less - $50K GTD Pick 4

While I wouldn't take the 3-5 he offered last time, this looks to be a good spot for (1) VETTEL N. He can let the dust settle and brush to the front or look for cover. (3) HAIL CHRISTIANN N comes off one of those miles I just line to draw a line through. His prior start in this company was fine. (10) WESTERN JOE drops out of the Preferred and the big question here is whether he'll be gunning off the gate. (8) TWIN B TUFFENUFF has enjoyed facing easier of late but is good enough to step up, but Gingras chose (7) PUT TO RIGHT.

Race 11: Non-winners $10,000 (NW L2 $11,100) in last 5/TM 87 (NW L3/5 87.5/88)

(4) TAM MAJOR A closed well from last in his first start since June and I have to think he'll only be better with that start under his belt. This seems like the right class for him. (2) JK WILL POWER picked up some confidence while down in class and as a near-$900,000 winner, he can step up. (9) ODDS ON DELRAY lured Zeron off of the top pick, though he drives regularly for this barn. I wouldn't be shocked if this one gunned off the wings of the gate. (6) MAYHEM HANOVER lost by a head in this class last time out.

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Race 12: Non-winners $7,000 (NW L2 $7,990) in last 5/TM 83 (NW L2/5 83.5/84)

(3) BOILING OAR drops into a class where a bunch of his foes are moving up the ladder. It is hard to consider him a lock in his current form but it is also hard to see him losing. (1) FORCE N FURY scored at first asking for new connections. He steps up but has some class. (4) SMOKIN BY N moves up off a win; confidence builder? (2) NOWHERE CREEK A should take some money as the unknown factor coming in from Australia. He's worth consideration.

Race 13: TrackMaster Rating 78.91 or less

(1) MANHATTAN BEACH is a long way from his glory days but settles into a decent spot here. In his second start for Burke, I'm expected an early brush. (5) SONIC FLARE is probably the horse to beat on paper but he does move from a hot barn to a dull one. (6) CAPTAIN HILL is clearly heading to the front and it wouldn't be a surprise if he got away. (3) SO TAKE THAT will likely be overlooked in the wagering and that makes him interesting since he's clearly in form.